Work

Utility of Postmortem Autopsy via Whole-Body Imaging: Initial Observations Comparing MDCT and 3.0T MRI Findings with Autopsy Findings

Year: 2010

Type: article

Abstract: Utility of Postmortem Autopsy via Whole-Body Imaging: Initial Observations Comparing MDCT and 3.0T MRI Findings with Autopsy FindingsObjective: We prospectively compared whole-body multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) and 3.0T magnetic resonance (MR) images with autopsy findings. Materials and Methods:Five cadavers were subjected to whole-body, 16channel MDCT and 3.0T MR imaging within two hours before an autopsy.A radiologist classified the MDCT and 3.0T MRI findings into major and minor findings, which were compared with autopsy findings.Results: Most of the imaging findings, pertaining to head and neck, heart and vascular, chest, abdomen, spine, and musculoskeletal lesions, corresponded to autopsy findings.The causes of death that were determined on the bases of MDCT and 3.0T MRI findings were consistent with the autopsy findings in four of five cases.CT was useful in diagnosing fatal hemorrhage and pneumothorax, as well as determining the shapes and characteristics of the fractures and the direction of external force.MRI was effective in evaluating and tracing the route of a metallic object, soft tissue lesions, chronicity of hemorrhage, and bone bruises.Conclusion: A postmortem MDCT combined with MRI is a potentially powerful tool, providing noninvasive and objective measurements for forensic investigations.orensic science has advanced in several fields, including genetics, crime scene investigation methods, and toxicology (1).In contrast, autopsies still use traditional methods, including the dissection of the corpse, oral description, photography of the body, and written documentation of the findings (2).However, a conventional autopsy has many limitations including subjectivity, lack of reproducibility, restrictions on investigating the entire body and for the inability of a layman to understand the complex autopsy results (3).Due to the rapid development of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and computed tomography (CT) over the course of recent decades, the territory of radiology has been extending from the brain, chest, and abdominal imaging to the heart and articular imaging.In contrast to the rapid development of clinical radiology, the application of imaging methods in forensic radiology has lagged far behind the technical developments in imaging devices (1).An effort to document the body by objective and noninvasive means began in the 1990s at the Institute of Forensic Medicine, Diagnostic Radiology, and Neuroradiology of the University of Bern.This effort resulted in the 'Virtopsy' project, which aimed to detect forensic findings in corpses using multidetector CT (MDCT) and MR imaging, as well as comparing these results with traditional autopsy findings (4).Furthermore, with the advent of higher channel MDCT and 3.0T whole-body MRI,

Source: Korean Journal of Radiology

DOI: 10.3348/kjr.2010.11.4.395